So for Christmas we are here in Bandiagara, Mali. We are staying at a campsite and there is another tour group here so people to hang out with. For christmas we have a huge pig on a spit. I just had spag bol, the others had chicken and chips, the chicken having just arrived still live, carried in upside down by a local lady
On boxing day we are going walking in the Dogon country for 3 or 4 days. A long hike so hopefully not too hungover.
Before this we were in Djenne where there was another crazy market, and the biggest mud mosque in the world. We had lots of fun with the local kids, wanting their picture taken and then looking at it. They showed us some dancing and we joined in a bit. And we played soccer. And we taught them the YMCA dance. Then we went on a two day river cruise which was fun, a bit cramped but we had a swim and enjoyed the scenery.
24.12.09
17.12.09
Bamako, Mali
going to write this in a hurry cos i have to get back to the hostel for lunch and my malaria tablet and then to the museum. Mali is great and the people are really friendly. we got the feeling we werent really wanted in Mauritania, especially when we tried to stop at the border to get exit stamps and do the right thing officially, they just told us to keep going! but when we got to the mali side, mali said our passports had to go back to Mauratnia to get the exit stamp, so Gav took them back the next morning! the police escort had taken us about 1000kms through Mauritania in 2 days so lots of time on the truck and no sightseeing.
Bamako is pretty crazy. this is our first proper african city. a few of us went food shopping at the local market. loads of people, dust, motorbikes. the women are lovely. good skin, colorful dresses and matching headscarves and usually a big smile. and balancing all kinds of things on their heads.
we went to a soccer match yesterday. there was a group of drummers which created a great atmosphere. it got a bit tense when the opposing team scored and lots of the guys were shouting at eachother. i put my shoes back on in case we had to run for it. but then the home team equalised and it calmed down a bit.
last night we went to a Mali nightclub, definitely for locals, not a tourist spot. lots of musicians and a rather large lady belting out the tunes, it was great. i had a bit of dance. a few drinks and a bit seedy this morning.
thats all, stuff to do,
Bamako is pretty crazy. this is our first proper african city. a few of us went food shopping at the local market. loads of people, dust, motorbikes. the women are lovely. good skin, colorful dresses and matching headscarves and usually a big smile. and balancing all kinds of things on their heads.
we went to a soccer match yesterday. there was a group of drummers which created a great atmosphere. it got a bit tense when the opposing team scored and lots of the guys were shouting at eachother. i put my shoes back on in case we had to run for it. but then the home team equalised and it calmed down a bit.
last night we went to a Mali nightclub, definitely for locals, not a tourist spot. lots of musicians and a rather large lady belting out the tunes, it was great. i had a bit of dance. a few drinks and a bit seedy this morning.
thats all, stuff to do,
11.12.09
Nouakachott, Mauritania.
So, here we are in very hot and sunny Nouakachott, the capital city of Mauritania. After 3 days travelling through the Western Sahara from Morocco. It took 3 hours for them to let us cross out of Morocco. We crossed no mans land which is basically a very rough path across the sand, very bouncy in the truck. It was almost dark when we got to the Mauritania side so they let us set up camp next to the passport control building, which was fine. They let us through straight away in the morning. They gave us an armed escort (5 guys with big guns in a pickup truck) for the 500kms to here, probably because some spanish NGO workers got kidnapped by Al Qaeda recently.
The bush camping sites again were great, the middle of nowhere, nice scenery and sunsets. One night we found a small area on top of a hill and camped on the red sand among the cacti. Another night we camped at the beach. The hostel here is great, clean facilites, friendly staff and we are sleeping on the roof again, under mozzie nets.
We bought 3kgs of goat from some remote outpost in the desert, i think the goat had probably been walking around outside a few hours earlier. We watched the guy chop it up a bit for us. I kind of offered to cut it up for the pot but it smelt a bit funny after it had been on the truck for 36 hours. I am not squeamish but the smell and the texture grossed me out. Anyway we cooked it and it was ok, nobody got sick. It did taste ok but i was over it by then.
There have been one or two arguments among the team although not involving me or the cool kids who sit at the front of the truck. Whats the point in having a huge row when we are supposed to be on having fun. But i guess we will all have our moments. I have a good view from the front of the truck, can see out the front back and sides.....talking of which, many of us have shaved our heads, grade 0, partly for fun and because sometimes we dont shower for 4 days!
Found out the world cup draw. Looks like England have a favourable draw. Good to have some different teams to play from normal. Seems we might get Australia in the next round?
There are no taboos now regarding toilet habits and experiences. So far has not been so bad, maybe worse for the girls. There are mostly squat toilets but sometimes too smelly, blocked or broken for human use. But we all share our experiences and bodily functions, burping and farting is pretty well accepted and ignored.
At night there are dogs barking in the distance but very loudly, and every morning there is the 'call to prayer'
from the mosques, at 430am and even with ear plugs in it wakes us up, and goes until about 5am, kind of funny but annoying.
We leave here tomorrow and take a few days to get to the Mali border. Our visas dont start until 23rd december but the Mali embassy here assured us we can cross earlier....wheel C.
The bush camping sites again were great, the middle of nowhere, nice scenery and sunsets. One night we found a small area on top of a hill and camped on the red sand among the cacti. Another night we camped at the beach. The hostel here is great, clean facilites, friendly staff and we are sleeping on the roof again, under mozzie nets.
We bought 3kgs of goat from some remote outpost in the desert, i think the goat had probably been walking around outside a few hours earlier. We watched the guy chop it up a bit for us. I kind of offered to cut it up for the pot but it smelt a bit funny after it had been on the truck for 36 hours. I am not squeamish but the smell and the texture grossed me out. Anyway we cooked it and it was ok, nobody got sick. It did taste ok but i was over it by then.
There have been one or two arguments among the team although not involving me or the cool kids who sit at the front of the truck. Whats the point in having a huge row when we are supposed to be on having fun. But i guess we will all have our moments. I have a good view from the front of the truck, can see out the front back and sides.....talking of which, many of us have shaved our heads, grade 0, partly for fun and because sometimes we dont shower for 4 days!
Found out the world cup draw. Looks like England have a favourable draw. Good to have some different teams to play from normal. Seems we might get Australia in the next round?
There are no taboos now regarding toilet habits and experiences. So far has not been so bad, maybe worse for the girls. There are mostly squat toilets but sometimes too smelly, blocked or broken for human use. But we all share our experiences and bodily functions, burping and farting is pretty well accepted and ignored.
At night there are dogs barking in the distance but very loudly, and every morning there is the 'call to prayer'
from the mosques, at 430am and even with ear plugs in it wakes us up, and goes until about 5am, kind of funny but annoying.
We leave here tomorrow and take a few days to get to the Mali border. Our visas dont start until 23rd december but the Mali embassy here assured us we can cross earlier....wheel C.
3.12.09
Essaouira, Morocco
So today we are in the seaside town of Essaouira. I am sure they could have got more vowels into the name if they tried. It was great coming around the corner and seeing the atlantic ocean on our way down from the Atlas mountains. Had a good walk around the touristy bit and bought a manbag, and a good look around the medina, the old bit where the locals go shopping. We leave tomorrow to follow the coast down towards the western sahara and Maurintina. we will probably be bushcamping heaps then. hopefully stopping in lots of remote places. i think thats when the adventure really begins. we have been mainly staying on campsites and have plenty of good food and facilities. this will be become less so over the next few weeks. we will be in the desert until around Christmas I think and booze is illegal in Mauritina....
I have to say listening to those who are doing the full trip up to Turkey, I wish I was too. the only thing stopping me is that I want to be in England for the world cup. see how I feel closer to the time.
it was our turn to cook again last night, I couldn’t actually remember what day it was, which is one of the joys of travelling, but I knew it was our cooking day so was able to deduce that it was Wednesday. anyway, we made fajitas and the gang seemed to enjoy. yes, you have to cook for 24 people once a week but the other days you just sit round the campfire while some else does it so no complaints there. In the evenings it gets dark at 530 and a bit chilly and theres not much to do except sit round the fire so must people go to bed around 9pm.
if you put this into facebook search you can follow our guides blog which has other info
"African Trails: Ultimate Trans November 2009's Notes"
We had four nights in Marrakech on a campsite with peacocks as well as cats and dogs which are at every site.. it was cool though not as great as I expected. at dusk when the food stalls are busy and the markets are full there is a great atmosphere. during the day there are some smart buildings to see and the mosque is nice. but we didnt really need 3 days. too much walking for my toe and not enough reward. I nearly bought a manbag but by the time we had agreed a price the stocky guy had blocked my exit from his shop and had a strong hold on my wrist. I told him I might come back and got past him. he said I was crazy! if he had been nice I would have bought the bag. got lots of guys trying to hassle me using my Ajax hat as a conversation starter so took it off and wore it inside out.
Weetbix for breakfast every day.The trip only has bad cornflakes so I have splashed out on five boxes of weetbix and put my name on them. It is good having my own tent. can spread out and come and go as I please. I actually gave it a bit of a clean yesterday and it was like a new tent! happy with my sleeping bag and sheet and self inflating mat. comfortable and warm now.
my toe seems to be ok. have had it mostly covered up but when I had a look it looked ok, maybe its gonna reconnect itself. I would really like to go for a run but that’s off.
thats all. off to the desert.
I have to say listening to those who are doing the full trip up to Turkey, I wish I was too. the only thing stopping me is that I want to be in England for the world cup. see how I feel closer to the time.
it was our turn to cook again last night, I couldn’t actually remember what day it was, which is one of the joys of travelling, but I knew it was our cooking day so was able to deduce that it was Wednesday. anyway, we made fajitas and the gang seemed to enjoy. yes, you have to cook for 24 people once a week but the other days you just sit round the campfire while some else does it so no complaints there. In the evenings it gets dark at 530 and a bit chilly and theres not much to do except sit round the fire so must people go to bed around 9pm.
if you put this into facebook search you can follow our guides blog which has other info
"African Trails: Ultimate Trans November 2009's Notes"
We had four nights in Marrakech on a campsite with peacocks as well as cats and dogs which are at every site.. it was cool though not as great as I expected. at dusk when the food stalls are busy and the markets are full there is a great atmosphere. during the day there are some smart buildings to see and the mosque is nice. but we didnt really need 3 days. too much walking for my toe and not enough reward. I nearly bought a manbag but by the time we had agreed a price the stocky guy had blocked my exit from his shop and had a strong hold on my wrist. I told him I might come back and got past him. he said I was crazy! if he had been nice I would have bought the bag. got lots of guys trying to hassle me using my Ajax hat as a conversation starter so took it off and wore it inside out.
Weetbix for breakfast every day.The trip only has bad cornflakes so I have splashed out on five boxes of weetbix and put my name on them. It is good having my own tent. can spread out and come and go as I please. I actually gave it a bit of a clean yesterday and it was like a new tent! happy with my sleeping bag and sheet and self inflating mat. comfortable and warm now.
my toe seems to be ok. have had it mostly covered up but when I had a look it looked ok, maybe its gonna reconnect itself. I would really like to go for a run but that’s off.
thats all. off to the desert.
26.11.09
Tinehir, Morocco
(have posted some pix on facebook)
in no particular order..................just swept the inside of the truck. Dave the Canadian is doing truck security today so i left him to it. (last night some pesky little kids were playing with the lock). I am stuck here while the others are walking and climbing in the gorge, because my toenail half came off last night while i was putting my pants on. Canadian Sarah and Kiwi Craig helped by putting some antiseptic cream under the nail and wrapping it up. it had been getting looser recently. i would have preffered it had come right off.
Bush camping randomly off road has been fun. woken up in some beautiful locations. we try to set up camp before dark, 530pm, so its easier for starting cooking etc.
Yesterday we drove here to Tinehir and met Abdullah the Berber - our guide. He took us to the markets where we bought chicken and vegies for dinner. Then he took us to his brothers hotel for lunch (too exy so made me own sandwiches). Some of us got in the freezing swimming pool. So cold all over, no way you could stay in. Its warm here in the sun but it is winter and we are quite high up.
A bit further along stopped at Abdullahs guest house for the night. It is made of mud and straw. The location is beautiful alongside the gorge, red rock and the river. Japanese Mayumi, Canadians Katie and Dan, Pommys Mike and Jeremy and Kiwi Phil and i slept on the roof of the guest house under the stars, a very clear night so lots to look at, and when we woke all we could see was the sheer cliff of the nearby gorge, and blue sky.
Last night Abdullah showed USA Lena and Kiwi Craig and me how to prepare traditional Moroccan Chicken Tajine and salad for everyone. We did a good job, although basically its just a stew.Abdul became annoying when he kept asking us for alcohol.He is offering lunch today for about six euros - bread and soup. come off it, dude.
hoping my toenail sorts itself out before i miss any other adventures.
in no particular order..................just swept the inside of the truck. Dave the Canadian is doing truck security today so i left him to it. (last night some pesky little kids were playing with the lock). I am stuck here while the others are walking and climbing in the gorge, because my toenail half came off last night while i was putting my pants on. Canadian Sarah and Kiwi Craig helped by putting some antiseptic cream under the nail and wrapping it up. it had been getting looser recently. i would have preffered it had come right off.
Bush camping randomly off road has been fun. woken up in some beautiful locations. we try to set up camp before dark, 530pm, so its easier for starting cooking etc.
Yesterday we drove here to Tinehir and met Abdullah the Berber - our guide. He took us to the markets where we bought chicken and vegies for dinner. Then he took us to his brothers hotel for lunch (too exy so made me own sandwiches). Some of us got in the freezing swimming pool. So cold all over, no way you could stay in. Its warm here in the sun but it is winter and we are quite high up.
A bit further along stopped at Abdullahs guest house for the night. It is made of mud and straw. The location is beautiful alongside the gorge, red rock and the river. Japanese Mayumi, Canadians Katie and Dan, Pommys Mike and Jeremy and Kiwi Phil and i slept on the roof of the guest house under the stars, a very clear night so lots to look at, and when we woke all we could see was the sheer cliff of the nearby gorge, and blue sky.
Last night Abdullah showed USA Lena and Kiwi Craig and me how to prepare traditional Moroccan Chicken Tajine and salad for everyone. We did a good job, although basically its just a stew.Abdul became annoying when he kept asking us for alcohol.He is offering lunch today for about six euros - bread and soup. come off it, dude.
hoping my toenail sorts itself out before i miss any other adventures.
22.11.09
Fez, Morocco
Well in no particular order.....all is well on trip. Morocco is great, and as i said, the locals are really friendly. some nights we bush camp with no facilities, but for the last few nights in Fez we have been staying at a good site with hot water and loos.
Our driver is Gavin, a proper Aussie bloke, with a good sense of humour and is a safe and confident driver and should be a good guy to have in charge in the coming months, even though he and Summer, the other guide, have not been this way before. Some of us are a bit unsure why we are spending so long in Morocco. We have had a few "rest days" when we could have moved on. Still, a chance to do washing and chilling.
The 23 of us are split into teams and each team of 3 has different duties each day, but our team seems to have got off quite lightly so far. We did cook kebabs and cous cous for everyone when it was our turn. it took ages but was good in the end. Dinner is normally finished by pm and there is not much to do after that so most are in bed by 9pm. There is nothing to do, partly because the campsites are so far from, the towns.
But we did go out in Casablanca. We went to some very local pubs which was fun. not ,any ladies in the pub, and they might have been ladies of the night. The locals got upset at being in the background of our photos because Berbers dont like being photographed which we did not really know. Anyway one of them got chucked out for shouting at us and we apologised and it was fine. Then we headed across town in taxis intending to go to a posh club, but of course they didnt let us in cos we only had sandals on. The only other thing to do was to go across the road to Maccas. Not what we expected but we had a good laugh. In the morning Phil the Kiwi and I walked to the King Hassan 11 mosque, the third biggest in the world and very impressive.
We had a guided tour around the medina in Fez yesterday. You need a guide as there are 9600 narrow streets in the medina and they all look the same. Some streets were packed and pretty crazy. Lots of interesting sights and smells. Inevitably the guide took us to a carpet shop after promising that he wouldnt, so some of us just waited outside.
Have run a couple of times, just a few kms. A couple of the other guys have been doing weights, with gerry cans of water and Gavin does his fancy yoga so i thought i should do something.
well thats all for now. this is a french keybo*ard so keys are in the wrong plqce....doing ,y head in.
tried to upload pics but its too slow. next few days in the mountains....
Our driver is Gavin, a proper Aussie bloke, with a good sense of humour and is a safe and confident driver and should be a good guy to have in charge in the coming months, even though he and Summer, the other guide, have not been this way before. Some of us are a bit unsure why we are spending so long in Morocco. We have had a few "rest days" when we could have moved on. Still, a chance to do washing and chilling.
The 23 of us are split into teams and each team of 3 has different duties each day, but our team seems to have got off quite lightly so far. We did cook kebabs and cous cous for everyone when it was our turn. it took ages but was good in the end. Dinner is normally finished by pm and there is not much to do after that so most are in bed by 9pm. There is nothing to do, partly because the campsites are so far from, the towns.
But we did go out in Casablanca. We went to some very local pubs which was fun. not ,any ladies in the pub, and they might have been ladies of the night. The locals got upset at being in the background of our photos because Berbers dont like being photographed which we did not really know. Anyway one of them got chucked out for shouting at us and we apologised and it was fine. Then we headed across town in taxis intending to go to a posh club, but of course they didnt let us in cos we only had sandals on. The only other thing to do was to go across the road to Maccas. Not what we expected but we had a good laugh. In the morning Phil the Kiwi and I walked to the King Hassan 11 mosque, the third biggest in the world and very impressive.
We had a guided tour around the medina in Fez yesterday. You need a guide as there are 9600 narrow streets in the medina and they all look the same. Some streets were packed and pretty crazy. Lots of interesting sights and smells. Inevitably the guide took us to a carpet shop after promising that he wouldnt, so some of us just waited outside.
Have run a couple of times, just a few kms. A couple of the other guys have been doing weights, with gerry cans of water and Gavin does his fancy yoga so i thought i should do something.
well thats all for now. this is a french keybo*ard so keys are in the wrong plqce....doing ,y head in.
tried to upload pics but its too slow. next few days in the mountains....
17.11.09
Morocco
sorry it took me a while to get in touch. all good. sitting in a small
dark room above a shop in a side street in casablanca. some of us took
a side trip here for the night from our camp site in rabat. not that
it qualifies as a campsite since the only facilities are four squat
toilets; only one with a door. have seen some nice mountains and
towns on the way and camped in the middle of nowhere for one night.
rustic and nice scenery. the locals seem really friendly and have
helped with directions. the train was better than a sydney train. the
other travellers are cool. still getting to know eachother a bit.
national holiday here tomorrow so out on the town/beach for a few
drinks. the atlantic coastline and huge waves are awesome.
there are many advantages and disadvantages of travelling in a group
like this. sometimes you wish for independance, sometimes its good to
be in a group.
dark room above a shop in a side street in casablanca. some of us took
a side trip here for the night from our camp site in rabat. not that
it qualifies as a campsite since the only facilities are four squat
toilets; only one with a door. have seen some nice mountains and
towns on the way and camped in the middle of nowhere for one night.
rustic and nice scenery. the locals seem really friendly and have
helped with directions. the train was better than a sydney train. the
other travellers are cool. still getting to know eachother a bit.
national holiday here tomorrow so out on the town/beach for a few
drinks. the atlantic coastline and huge waves are awesome.
there are many advantages and disadvantages of travelling in a group
like this. sometimes you wish for independance, sometimes its good to
be in a group.
4.11.09
Barcelona Tuesday 3rd November
The hostel is great. Friendly staff, very clean, free breakfast and free internet. A couple of the other guests are staying in a hostel for the first time and are maybe half my age. oh well! Wandered out to Las Ramblas, a bit quiet, maybe a bit early? Carried on to La Sagrada Familia which is the big church that Gaudi started and that has not been finished. Now, i knew it was a work in progres but i didnt expect it to be literally a building site inside. There is more work than church. Since when did people pay $26 to go onto a buidling site? The columns and the cieling bit that are finished are pretty good but other than that the inside is a mess! They do have sermons there apparently, i dont know which cement mixer the Priest stands on. The facades on the outside a quite impressive i guess. And they wouldnt let us go up to the top because it was ´too windy´. Really?
So i moved onto the Park Guell which was designed by Gaudi and is a bit like an hallucinatory theme park. Lots of curvy spires and walls. A lovely place to be in the sunshine and great views of the city. Walked back to Casa Mila, also by Gaudi. The roof has some funky curvy chimneys and it was fun walking around there. Walked back to Las Ramblas, still not very exciting, just a bit touristy. Had a good walk around the markets and got some food and back to the hostel. Passed out at 7pm!
So i moved onto the Park Guell which was designed by Gaudi and is a bit like an hallucinatory theme park. Lots of curvy spires and walls. A lovely place to be in the sunshine and great views of the city. Walked back to Casa Mila, also by Gaudi. The roof has some funky curvy chimneys and it was fun walking around there. Walked back to Las Ramblas, still not very exciting, just a bit touristy. Had a good walk around the markets and got some food and back to the hostel. Passed out at 7pm!
3.11.09
Sydney to Barcelona
Well the flights weren´t too bad. Lots of dozing, no booze and great food. Yes, great airline food...Kimchi with rice and stuff, ate the lot. Seoul was really cold. Transferred to hotel in Incheon, double bed and cable TV. Into Incheon city for a few beers with Ruth (pom) and Anne Maree (scottish) on the subway. The city is alot like being in Japan, bars on the fourth floor, convenience stores, polite people. Had a few beers, walked away from a few places cos underdressed. Beer was good and cheap. Whole night cost $10.
Got on the bus at 10am for transfer back to airport. I got an ironic round of applause from the the others on the bus, even though it was the agreed meeting time. Clearly they had been waiting for me. Hung out with the girls at the airport which made the time go quickly. Saw some some Korean music and art. all good.
Slept mostly to Frankfurt. Watched stupid RomCom- the Ugly Truth - what made me think this Rom Com would be any better than all other RomComs? You know, boy meets girl. They dislike each other for most of the movie before, with 2 minutes left, realising that they actually loved eachother the whole time. Yawn.
Frankfurt was also cold. But it was cool to be in Europe. Bought crappy english newspaper. Finally arrived in Barca around midnight. Got bus into the centre, then wandered around a bit confused for a few minutes before a taxi picked me - female driver, so all good from there.
Got on the bus at 10am for transfer back to airport. I got an ironic round of applause from the the others on the bus, even though it was the agreed meeting time. Clearly they had been waiting for me. Hung out with the girls at the airport which made the time go quickly. Saw some some Korean music and art. all good.
Slept mostly to Frankfurt. Watched stupid RomCom- the Ugly Truth - what made me think this Rom Com would be any better than all other RomComs? You know, boy meets girl. They dislike each other for most of the movie before, with 2 minutes left, realising that they actually loved eachother the whole time. Yawn.
Frankfurt was also cold. But it was cool to be in Europe. Bought crappy english newspaper. Finally arrived in Barca around midnight. Got bus into the centre, then wandered around a bit confused for a few minutes before a taxi picked me - female driver, so all good from there.
30.10.09
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